


When Heaven and Sea Unite

by Evee_chan



Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angel!Makoto, Free! - Freeform, How Do I Tag, M/M, mer!Haru
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-16
Updated: 2014-07-22
Packaged: 2018-01-12 16:18:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1191714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Evee_chan/pseuds/Evee_chan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Angel!Makoto gets caught in a storm and nearly drowns, but Mer!Haru saves him.<br/>Prompt fill from: marukaprompts.tumblr.com/post/67547327481/i-just-thought-of-something-cute-an-angel-mako-falls</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. When worlds meet

**Author's Note:**

> Ok... so this is my first fic and first attempt at writing for fun! Unbeta-d so if there are any mistakes, feel free to correct me! Concrit is appreciated!

Of all the coincidences that could happen that day, it just has to be being thrown into a storm, dropping into the ocean, and waking up to a mystical creature that only exists in fairy tales... As if Makoto is one to talk, being an angel and all.

What happens is out of anyone's predictions, when Makoto is suddenly swept up in a storm tossed around like a fragile little bird. Painful tearing noises are ripped away by the wind as golden blood seeps through his broken wings and stains his feathers.

The stormy clouds slowly dissipate and the wind gradually dies down as the tattered body begins plunging towards the choppy, gray sea. The icy water catches his fall and stings his wings, as blood billows out around him. Coldness seeps into Makoto's wings, which weighs him down and drags him deeper.

 _Is it... going to end like this?_    
 _Ah, well it's not too bad._

The water caresses his body --  _or are those fingers?_  -- and a pair of ocean-blue eyes flash in his fading view before he drifts into blackness.

The sound of crashing waves drifts into the angel's ears and he opens his heavy eyelids.

"How are you feeling?" a bored yet melodious voice asks him.

Makoto sits up gingerly, noticing his wings are bandaged tightly, and turns towards the voice. "I uh... I feel pretty good considering what happened to me." His voice lowers a bit as he looks away. "Uh... did you save me and patch up my wings for me? Thanks..." He chuckles quietly. Meeting the gaze of luminous ocean-blue eyes, he almost lets out a gasp at their intensity.

"Nanase... Haruka..." he supplies, looking down at the sand on the beach beneath them. A large wave washes onto the shore and soaks into it as he begins to nervously knead the damp sand under his hands.

"Well my name is Makoto Tachibana," he replies, "and it's wonderful to meet you!" the olive-haired angel extends his hand to the other, but Haruka frowns warily at the extended limb as if it was in some way offensive, and copies Makoto's pose. Makoto clasps the iridescent and webbed hand, shakes it, and pauses, looking at Haruka but fully taking in his features this time.

 _I could get lost in those eyes forever..._  he thinks, but shakes himself out of his reverie. He continues scrutinizing Haruka, admiring his silky raven hair and porcelain skin until his eyes fall on the other's lower half. Surprise fills Makoto's voice when he opens his mouth to speak. "You're... a merman."

"Yes I am a merman. What else would I be?" Haruka states, followed by an annoyed sigh and an irritated flick of his tail, scales gleaming in the sunlight.

"I-I've just never seen a merman before so I'm surprised to even meet one in my lifetime okay?" Makoto replies defensively, crossing his arms while pouting. Haruka snorts derisively at that but chooses not to pursue the matter any further.

"How did you even fall into the ocean in the first place?" Haruka asks, the question which had bothered him since they met, finally out in the open.

"Hm..." Makoto starts, stunned by the sudden change in subject. "Well, it's kind of a long story. Do you still want to listen?" A shrug of shoulders and a mumbled 'mh' neither affirming or declining his offer was the only response.

"Okay... so it all started when God wanted to establish a better bond with Poseidon and his kingdom. As a result, he sent me to to be the messenger because I am the angel closest to him. Nobody could anticipate that I'd get caught in a storm and get sidetracked like this." As he re-accounted the recent events leading up to the current situation, Haruka's face never changed except for the slight raising of his eyebrows. With closer observation, the raven haired mans slight change of expression shows his increasing interest in the angel sitting in the sand across from him. Both men shift in the sand and cerulean eyes meet emerald ones, then quickly look away.

"..."

Awkward silence fills the air.

"Do you want me to take you to see Posidon?"

"Would you really, Haruka?" says Makoto. "I would love if you could do that! Thank you." He shoots the merman a wide grin and laughs.

"N-No problem." Haruka averts his gaze, a light pink dusting his cheeks. "Let's go." The merman proceeds to grab Makoto's hand and begins to ungracefully scoot closer to the lapping waves.

"Ah! Wait!" Makoto cries, his other hand flailing back to clutch at a handful of sand. "If you drag me back to the ocean, I'll just drown again!"

Clearly this did not occur to Haruka as his eyes widen in realization. "Oh... I'll be right back so stay here." A sudden splash and he disappears into the waves, leaving a startled Makoto sitting on the beach.

Minutes tick by and the merman doesn't reappear, which makes the angel worry. Another splash, and a head of dripping dark hair emerges from the waves a little ways from the shore.

The olive-haired angel sighed in relief. "There you are! I was worried something bad happened to you."

"I'm sorry." comes a mumbled reply, "I forgot angels can't breathe underwater like me." Haruka says with a finger pointedly at his neck. With closer inspection, faint ridges of gills could be seen stretched out on either side of his neck.

"Then how can you breathe air?"

"Because I have a lung as well," Haruka then points to the center of his chest, "right here.

"So... why did you leave and come back anyway?"

"Right. Here, take this." A handful of soggy, slimy seaweed is thrown to Makoto, hitting his outstretched hands with a gooey 'splat!'. He stares questioningly at Haruka, who mimes an eating motion.

"You want me to eat this?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

A deep sigh. "It'll let you breathe underwater, stupid."

Makoto blushes a bright red. "O-oh. Is this why you were gone so long?"

"Yeah. That stuff grows really far out so it's hard to get. Now hurry up and eat it."

Makoto hastily shoves the handful of seaweed into his mouth, chews, and swallows, gagging in the process. He winces. "...S'that good? I don't feel any different."

"Come on let's go."

The angel gets up, joints cracking, stretches and groans. Walking to the water's edge, he reluctantly dips his toes into the frigid ocean. "Are you sure this'll work?"

Webbed hands abruptly grab his ankles and yank him off-balance, causing him to topple backwards.

"Hey! What was that for?"

A chuckle.

"That was rude!"

"Well that's what you get for being slow." Haruka retorts, face back to being expressionless and goes to prod Makoto. "Come on, slowpoke."

With a sigh, Makoto stands, pushes back his sopping wet hair and begins to lethargically trudge deeper into the waves past where Haruka lays. He turns around.

"Now what?"

Haruka doesn't reply. Instead, he plucks a pearly scale from his tail and drops it into the water. Little ripples radiate from where the scale floats, suspended as it glitters in the sunlight shining through the water. Rather than the ripples slow and disappear, they actually grow and increase, beginning to swirl in towards the center. The raven-haired merman gives Makoto a quick glance before diving into the whirlpool, knowing that if the angel is serious about seeing Poseidon, he would follow.

True to Haruka's belief, Makoto plunges into the churning water moments later, wings tucked close to his body and cheeks puffing out like he is not breathing. With eyes clenched shut, Makoto clumsily fumbles around trying to find something to steady himself. He finds it seconds later, when Haruka gracefully swims to him through the turbulent water to grasp his wrist.  _"Open your eyes and breathe,"_  he orders.

Makoto opens his eyes and takes a breath obediently, surprisingly not drowning and realizes he grew gills on his neck. He proceeds to open his mouth to speak, but all that comes out is a flurry of bubbles. Haruka releases his grip on Makoto and turns to face him.

"No, like this," he instructs, lips parted but not moving, yet his voice is clear as day.

"Like... this?" some bubbles still float out of the angel's mouth, slightly muffling his voice but he could still be heard properly.

"Good." Haruka nods and grabs his wrist. "Now just relax." The current pulls them both deeper and deeper into the cold, dark depths below. A strange pressure begins to build around them, pressing closer and closer, constricting them withing a small, dark space. Haruka opens his eyes, movements frantic and thoughts scrambling.

_This isn't supposed to happen._

The pressure suddenly lifts and the duo are flung far away from their intended destination. The last thing Haruka and Makoto hear is a delighted yet deranged giggle that filters through the water before darkness falls.

 


	2. Accidents happen and that's life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where accidents happen and plans don't go smoothly. They never do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 2!! Concrit is appreciated ^_^

The silence is heavy around them when Makoto eventually wakes up.

"Nngh..."

He turns to the source of the sound to find the still form of Haruka lying prone in the sand. 

_Those threads of blue light lingering around his body... what are they?_

The lights slowly dissipate when Haruka stirs and lets out a soft groan. Makoto crawls to him, face creased in concern as he leans over the merman and peers at his face. "H-Haruka? Are you okay?"

"Ugh... Yeah... I'm fine..." the merman replies sluggishly. "Just used too much magic to prevent us from getting attacked and flying too far from Posidon's palace..."

"You mean... those glowing blue threads of l ights?"

"Mhm. Thats how my magic manifests."

"Then why didn't it happen on the beach?"

"All mermaids and mermen are able to open a door to Atlantis, and our scales act as a key. Somehow... someone with magic far stronger than mine managed to bypass the door I made and attack us. I was barely able to deflect them but they ended up throwing us around like seaweed." Haruka grits his teeth and looks away, ashamed that he couldn't prevent their predicament.

"It's fine, it's fine." Makoto consoles him. "We'll just need to swim a bit more to where we're heading."

Haruka sighs, from plastered to his face, but pushes himself off the seafloor anyways. Looking around, there are little bobbing spheres scattered here and there that light up the dark water. The pair carefully swim up to the lights to find out what they actually are. Makoto, being the curious one, reaches out to grab a glowing orb. The strange object glows brighter and bulges out between his fingers as he gives it a squeeze, letting out a soft 'squish' noise. Taken aback, he lets go and the strange  _thing_ unfurls tiny little tentacles and drifts away in the water currents.

"Oh. It's a jellyfish." he says, staring at his hand and shudders, slightly disgusted by the slimy, jelly-like texture.

"You're lucky those don't sting people." Haruka huffs.

"That felt really weird, okay?" he mumbles. "Oh hey, look!" The angel points to the other shining jellyfish which have aligned and now illuminated a faded path of strange patchwork like stones winding along the silt covered seafloor. Nearby, a sign could be made out in the dim blue-ish light cast by the jellyfish. Haruka quickly grabs a jellyfish and swims over to read the sign.

 **ATLANTIS**   **↑**

**5 miles**

"We should follow this path I guess..." Haruka mutters dejectedly.

"Then let's go, Haru! I hope you dont mind me calling you that..."

"Hah... fine."

"Thanks Haru-chan." He smiles.

"Drop the -chan." The merman grumbles, irritably running a hand through his hair.

"Then call me Makoto." He gives the other a sly grin. "You haven't called my name at all, you know?

Haruka frowns, face flushing. "I don't usually call people by their names..."

"Aw, you're so cute when you blush, Haru-chan!" Makoto teasingly says, causing the blushing merman to blush even more furiously than before.

"S-Shut up." Any other attempt at small talk dies in the oppressive  heaviness of the water. They travel in companionable silence with Makoto glancing at Haruka's face every once in a while, trying to decipher the merman's blank expression, having recovered from flushing in embarrassment.

"What?!" Haruka exclaims, exasperated with the stares Makoto was giving him.

"I can't figure you out." He replies, slight irritation coloring his voice. The angel usually prided himself in being able to read others' body language and facial expressions, but Haruka gives nothing away as to how he feels or what he thinks. "I can't tell what you're thinking about at all!"

All he receives is is an indifferent shrug.

"Does it matter?"

Makoto  groans in response and just stops talking, choosing to swim faster instead. The tense atmosphere between them grows, the longer they stay silent, almost tangible in the space between them. Swimming in silence, Makoto looks around. The scenery has changed from the barren rocks without him even noticing. Sparse clumps of seaweed now waved in the water around them, jellyfish still periodically dotting the landscape around them. The further they swim the more seaweed grew and wavered in the water. The path had been slanting upwards and evening sunlight now began faintly filtering down from above, dying the seaweed different shades of greens, browns and reds. Further ahead, the seaweed parts to make a clearing and strange pebbles lay scattered on the ground, glowing a pretty blue and green. A strange prickle of uneasiness makes its way up Makoto's spine, causing the little hairs on his neck to stand on end.

"H-Haru... I think there's something..." he trails off midsentence and sidles closer, shrinking in on himself. A shadow flits past a bobbing jellyfish, scaring the wits out of the angel and he lets out a loud --and embarrassingly high-pitched-- shriek. "WHAT WAS THAT?"

Haruka scans the waters around them, eyes wide and alert. A fish swims past a light, swims around the duo curiously, then swims away into the forest of seaweed. The merman visibly relaxes, letting out a breath he didn't know he was unconsciously holding. A disruption in the water alerts Haru that something is stirring. The ground shakes and the silt begins to cloud the water around them. The whole seafloor jerks under them as a loud rumble builds to a crescendo. A shoal of fish swim frantically to escape but a net shoots up, blocking their escape. Rocks and debris shake loose and when Makoto sees the net rising around them, he begins to panic. The desperate pair swim upwards, fueled by adrenaline, to no avail. The net closes over their heads while it steadily pulls up towards the surface and dread pools in the pit of Makoto and Haruka's stomach. The sound of an engine vibrates through the water and the puzzle pieces fit together.

They both know what it means. A boat. Fishermen.

 _We have to escape._ Makotothinks. _Humans are irrational creatures. Dangerous ones._

He struggles to move, trying to find an opening. Anything. Something sharp scrapes at his back.

_A rock._

Makoto hurridly grabs the sharp rock and starts sawing away at the rope net. He glances at Haruka, who is distracted and disoriented by a roiling ball of fish around him. Almost as if they are seeking reassurance from him.

 

"Tch..."  _A propeller. We need to escape quickly._ Makoto grabs Haruka's hand and pulls him along towards the rip in the net he made.  _It's getting closer._

_Closer..._

_**Closer...** _

_**ClOsEr...** _

With a yelp, Makoto misses the rotating blades by a hairsbreadth. Haruka isn't as lucky. The propeller rips a gash in his tail, red blooming in the water like flower petals.

Makoto swims towards a rocky outcrop, carrying Haruka in his arms while swear words explode behind them. The fishermen had retrieved their net an all the fish went spilling back into the ocean in a silvery stream. The only thing they are left with now is an empty, ripped net.

_This can't be happening._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slight struggle with motivation with this chapter... but it's done now so yay!


	3. Companionship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some fluffy moments for poor Makoto and Haru~ ehehe Then Nagisa, Rei and Rin just have to interrupt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had some slight word choice issues with this chapter :P but it's out and once again, unbeta-d so concrit is appreciated!

Makoto gently lays Haruka down on the rock and firmly presses his hand against the cut on his tail.

 _Nobody’s dying. Not if I can help it._ He thinks as tears well in his eyes and fade away into the salty water around them. A stream of bubbles interrupts his train of thought.

“It’s fine.” Haruka whispers, “Watch.” He gestures with hands shaking from main and tries to smile, but grimaces instead. Familiar blue threads snake out from his injury, curling out from between Makoto’s fingers and glow brightly. They begin to stitch close the gash, criss-crossing and pulsating with light. The magic fades away, all that’s left is a light bluish and shiny scar, the same color as the surrounding tale but scale-less. The merman begins drifting off to sleep, exhausted by all the magic he used that day.

“Thank god you’re okay.” Makoto sighs as the tension leaves his body, slumping in relief and fatigue once the adrenaline leaves his body.

The sun slowly sets and with it goes the feeble warmth it casts in the water. A comfortable silence settles over Makoto as he leans back against the rocks and watches over Haruka, his face faintly visible in the dying light. It scrunches up in a pout when he shivers, curls in on himself and stretches his arms out searchingly, looking for the warmth of another person. Haruka finds it in Makoto and his cold, grasping hands grip onto the angel’s shirt, refusing to let go.

“H-Haru!” Makoto cries, voice wavering and heart fluttering. “Let go!” He struggles to free himself, which results in a needy groan from Haru. He stops trying to get away then, and just lies there, steeling himself for an awkward night of sleeplessness even as heat creeps its way up his neck. Everything is quiet except for the soft breathing of Haruka, which ghosts over Makoto’s neck and makes goosebumps prickle across his skin.

 _Might as well get comfortable._ He sighs resignedly, shuffling around to find a better position and earning a half-hearted mumbled complaint. The angel pillows the other’s head with his arm while resting his other arm on Haruka’s slender waist, pulling him closer. Legs and tail tangling and breaths mingling, Makoto finds himself drifting off to sleep, lulled by the warmth they share. The last thought that flits through his mind is of wondering what Haruka’s lips would feel like on his own before he falls asleep.

~***~

The faint light of dawn illuminates the water when Makoto stirs. “Mh…” Soft hairs tickles his nose and he nuzzles the head of hair next to his face. A slight scent of seaweed and something else, something pleasant, emanates from it.

 _Wait… hair?_ The thoughts of what happened the previous night floods his mind and his heart starts to beat furiously again.

 _Thank God he’s still asleep._ Makoto then tenses his body to find that he and Haruka had pressed closer to each other in their sleep, bodies fitting together perfectly like puzzle pieces and the warmth begins to make him sleepy once more.

“Mn… Makoto?” A drowsy Haruka asks, rubbing sleep from his eyes. Makoto guiltily disentangles himself from the other’s limbs and looks away. Trying to avoid the merman’s sleepy gaze, he misses the blush blossoming on Haruka’s cheeks. “H-How?’

“You were cold last night and clung to me, that’s all.” Makoto chuckles, remembering how innocent and defenceless Haru’s sleepy face looked.

“Stop laughing.” The merman grumbles, unamused.

The pair had most likely slept for quite a few hours, judging by the brightness around them. Far away cries could be heard and when Makoto scans their surroundings, he can see three mermen swimming towards them and calling out Haruka’s name while waving. They all have different colored tails; one of them reed, another is blue, and the last one is pink. The two decide to sit and wait patiently for the mermen to reach them.

~***~

“You **WHAT**?”

“I got stuck in a fisherman’s net and got hurt. Then Makoto saved me.” Haruka simply says again. The red-haired, red-tailed merman -- Rin is his name, Makoto thinks -- still stares incredulously at him.

“I knew I smelled blood. I didn’t know whose, so I came to check.” He angrily bares his razor sharp teeth and bats at a nearby tumbleweed of brown seaweed with his shark-like tail in aggravation. The other two mermen next to him were named Rei and Nagisa, blue and pink colored tails respectively. Rei has a shimmery violet tint to his tail while Nagisa’s has a rose colored seashell texture.

“How did you get in this mess anyway?” the red-haired male sighed, annoyed by the current situation.

“I was opening a door to Atlantis so Makoto could request to meet with Poseidon, when someone bypassed it and attempted to kill us both. Do you have any clue who it could be?

“You don’t think it could be…” Rin trails off, unsure of himself.

“Amakata Miho?” Rei interrupts, “It’s most likely her.”

“Rei’s rarely wrong so it must be her!” Nagisa chimes in, absolutely oblivious to the tense atmosphere around them.

“Well we’re all fucked.” Rin spits out, between pointy teeth.

“Wait who’s Amakata Miho? How is she related to this?” Makoto cuts in, confused and left out of the conversation.

“Amakata’s nickname is _The Witch of The Waste_.” Rei replies. “She lurks in the dark, polluted corners of the ocean, fighting for the upper hand over Poseidon.”

 Haruka contemplates this fact for a while. “Then that might’ve been her voice laughing at us back then…” he concludes. Makoto shudders, thinking of the eerie way the laugh had echoed within the water and prays to God that he’ll never have to face whoever owned that voice.

_Fate would cruelly laugh in his face…_

“Anyway, exactly how far are we from Atlantis?” Makoto asks, changing the topic and hoping to start heading to the underwater city again.

“Well, it took me, Rei-chan and RinRin an hour or so to get here because Rei-chan thought it would be safer to search for the scent of blood when it’s morning.” Nagisa mopes. “I really wanted to go on an adventure and be a hero that saves a maiden in distress though…”

The group begins to make their way back to Atlantis, when Makoto gets another prickle of unease. He turns around.

“Makoto?” Haruka asks, concerned.

“…Never mind.” He turns around and continues to swim.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> posting again at 2 am ^^; hope i didn't mess up... thanks for reading!


	4. Sweetness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They finally they reach Atlantis, things are good aaannd some things just had to happen. Nitori makes a cameo~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still gonna keep this going :P constructive criticism is really appreciated! (I really want some so I know where to improve) Un-beta'd so tell me if there are any mistakes ;)

“Ugh, Rei-chan are we there yet? My tail hurts…”

The blue haired merman spares a glance at Nagisa and sighs. “Complaining won’t make us any closer to Atlantis you know.”

“Awh Rei-chan you should be nicer to me!” Nagisa says as he nudges him with his shoulder.

Makoto idly drifts behind everyone and his eyes settle on Haruka’s face. His faces has lost its bored expression and t he corner of his mouth quirks up as he watches Nagisa and Rei’s bickering. The spell breaks when Rei looks up and speaks.

“The castle is over there.” A little ways off, a bustling city of delicately carved coral buildings sits on a smooth portion of seafloor.

In the center where Rei points to, a tall spiralling tower rises above everything else, overlooking the kingdom around it. “We should reach the city in around 30 minutes.” Everyone’s talking quiets as they get closer and closer to their destination.

As they approach the city, a metallic blue gate looms over them and casts shadows upon their faces.

“Welcome home, Prince Haruka!” the guards call, bowing low. The gate swings open as Haruka nods, and leads the way inside.

A stone path winds its way through the city, cutting through a marketplace and quiet neighborhood of small houses. Walking along the road, the scent of food cooking in the stalls lining the market wafts in the air. A shiny-eyed Nagisa pulls at Rei’s hand, dragging him excitedly to a brightly lit store.

“We can’t, Nagisa!” Rei cries out. “We’re supposed to return to the castle as soon as possible!”

“Aww! But Rei-chan… you’re no fun” Nagisa begins rubbing his head against the other’s shoulder and puffs out his cheeks, pouting. “I wanna go eat cake!”

“Okay, okay, fine. We’ll go inside.” Rei sighs resignedly. “Just eat quickly and let’s be on our way soon.”

The two duck inside the little shop and disappear from sight. Makoto stares wide-eyed at the other stores, some owners yelling and advertising their store as buyers snooped around for the best deals. There is so much activity and noise, all of which the angel had never seen before and the loudness of it makes his head spin.  A few minutes later, the city noise fades into the background when Rei and Nagisa re-emerge, with Nagisa sparkly-eyed and satisfied.

“Oi! Haru-chan, Mako-chan, Rin-chan! Lets go! Hurry up!” The blonde waves to them, almost frantically, urging them forward.

It is late afternoon by the time they arrive at the castle. There are even more  guards standing straight and proud outside. Their stiff pale blue uniforms stretch even straighter when they notice the mermen approach but soon relax again as they realize it is Haruka and his friends. Haruka nods silently to the guards as they stand aside for him. Once inside, Makoto stares open-mouthed at the high swooping ceiling above and the shiny gold vines swirling along the edges of the wall.  Turquoise tiles cover the floor, glimmering in the light shining from glowing orbs lining the hallway. Haruka casually continues on, taking so many turns that Makoto forgets the way back. The long hallway opens up into a smaller lush room with chairs covered in soft velvet, a chandelier which cast a watery glow on everything and a woman standing at a table laden with food who beckons them all to sit down.

“Haru! Brother! Welcome back! I was waiting for you all to come back and asked if the cook could prepare food for your return.” She smiles and grabs Rin’s hand. “Come sit!”

An almost audible sigh of relief comes from Makoto, as he sinks into his chair, slightly overwhelmed by the vastness and luxury of the castle. It is then that he looks closer at the mermaid talking animatedly to Rin.

_She called him ‘Brother’ earlier, didn’t she?_

It should have been obvious at first glance that they were siblings, with their matching sleek hair and bright red eyes, but it hadn’t occurred to him earlier at all, being too distracted by everything else. Nagisa springs up next to her and begins chatting too. Makoto sighs, puts an elbow on the table and rests his chin on it, feeling left out.

_Everyone’s friends with each other… I feel so out of the loop…_

He feels a hand resting on his shoulder and turns to see Rei’s face.

“Makoto-senpai you’re always free to talk to us if you like. It’s not as if you have to refrain from doing so just because everyone else is already acquainted with each other. In fact, most of us haven’t even known one another for long. Of course, Haruka-senpai and Rin-senpai have always been childhood friends, and I have just recently met everyone else here.”

Nagisa butts in. “And Gou-kun is super nice too!”

“Call me Kou! Not Gou! Especially don’t add -kun to my name it sounds like a boy’s name…” She retorts, red in the face. I told you so many times but did you listen? Noooo of course not!”

“Well then, nice to meet you, Kou-chan.” Makoto smiles softly at her and chuckles.  His stomach suddenly grumbles loudly and he turns back to the large plates of food sitting on the table. “Haha, I think we should eat now.”

The plates are filled with many types of food, with odd-looking vegetables, all kinds of steamed or grilled fish, soups, desserts and all manners of other things that he can’t identify, all garnished and presented professionally. The small room quiets down except for the sound of clinking spoons and forks as well as the aimless chatter Nagisa starts up with Gou. Makoto stares at his own plate, piled high with rice and curry, being the easiest to identify and the safest choice, and starts to eat. Before he knows it, he’s finished shovelling curry in his mouth and asking for seconds. It’s not long before everyone is finished and a gray haired merman ushers them in through a large door at the side of the room.

The place it leads to is grand, to say the least. Long, thin, coral beams curve around and around, up towards a round glass ceiling of stained glass which dyes the stones walls with color. The floor too is littered with shards of stained glass on top of midnight colored tiles. In the center rose a tall throne, the rough branches of coral that grows out of the carved chair casts dark shadows on the ground. Among the coral are dozens and dozens of gemstones and ribbons of dark seaweed framing and coiling around as if it were a dragon protecting its treasure. Atop the throne sits an imposing shadow holding a trident.

“Your Majesty.” The four mermen say politely, bowing low to the figure above them. Makoto scrambles to do the same, unsure if the way to show his respect is the same here.

“You may rise.” the voice says, deep and booming. The shadowed figure above shifts and his face catches the colored rays of light. Poseidon’s hair and beard are shiny silver, tendrils drifting slightly in the water. The wrinkles that line his face are deep, a long history of a kingdom and battles etched on his face.

He turns to address Haruka. “You rarely come to visit so what brings you here, son? Contempt drips from his voice and tension resonates in the air. One look and it’s easy to see that Poseidon and Haruka are barely on speaking terms, both of them struggling to keep the conversation civil for the others in the throne room.

“There’s something he wants to ask you.” Haruka nods at Makoto as he speaks.

Makoto gulps, the steely gaze meeting his. “I was asked to negotiate with you, to maybe establish a better relationship between our kingdoms?” His voice cracks at the end, as he loses his nerve and looks away awkwardly. A deep silence stretches out while the angel worries at his bottom lip with his teeth nervously, waiting for an answer. He gathers his courage, looking up and silently asking for an answer with his eyes.

“Perhaps… Though why should I trust your words, and how will I benefit from it?”

“Ah… I wasn’t given many details… but I believe it would be nice to have allies if or when your city is in danger.” Makoto replies, hoping against the odds that maybe his request would be granted.

“Hm… it’s not a very immediate problem at the moment, but it’s been plaguing the waters nearby for quite a while now. If you deal with this mater, consider your negotiations accepted.

There is a deep rumbling after and an odd glint in his eyes, and Makoto realizes--

_He’s laughing._

_Wait… why is he amused?_

“Will you tell me what you need help with now?”

“Let’s just  say that witch Amakata Miho has been _quite_ a thorn in our side as of late.”

A loud ‘tch’ comes from behind and Makoto turns around just as an agitated Rei mutters “Of course.”

“I see there’s someone who knows quite a bit about her now.” Poseidon raises his arms and jestures to the ceiling, beams of watery sunlight slowly fading. “I’m sure you’re anxious to hear more details but I’d be a rude host if I were to keep you here much longer.”

Makoto looks up in surprise, not realizing just how long it took to reach the city and wait to talk to the god. Exhaustion catches up with him and he lets out a large yawn, flushing slightly when he realizes how embarrassing it looks.

Poseidon turns to the right, looking into a dark corridor and thudding his trident against the tiled floor. “Take these guests to the guestrooms!”

Gou and the gray-haired merman from before, appear and motion for the others to follow. More confusing left and right turns later, they end up at a brightly lit hall with large doors on both sides. Gou reaches into a bag hanging from her shoulder and pulls out a key, unlocking the first two doors and pushes one open. “We can talk more and discuss sleeping arrangements here.” Nagisa dashes in excitedly while Rei, Rin and Haruka make their way inside at a slower pace.

Makoto follows behind, when his skin crawls with apprehension… like he was being watched. Then that he feels something _cold_ and _slimy_ coiling around his ankle. He looks down I n horror and inky black tentacle is slithering along the floor, extending from the shadows. The underside is lined with suction cups, and it as it winds around his ankle, it sticks and un-sticks itself from his skin tauntingly.\

“…”

He flinches when the tentacle scratches him, a short cut that seeps out golden blood. It judders, shaking and writhing around as it changed into a bloody red color and retreats back into the shadows.

_Mmm… you taste so sweet~ I can’t wait to taste more of you~_

Makoto’s face pales as psychotic laughter echoes in his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to anyone who makes it this far! I'd be really happy if anyone has advice to help me improve my writing :)


End file.
